City plays musical chairs as Monske accepts RGP role

Mayor Mike Bell has rearranged his administration following the departure of Deputy Mayor of External Relations Dean Monske.

Monske is leaving the city after he accepted the position of president/CEO of the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP). Tom Crothers, the city’s current director of public utilities, will replace Monske as the new deputy mayor of external relations.

“We looked at [Crothers'] ability not only to have a good understanding of the City of Toledo itself and how it functions, but he also has a very good understanding for what needs to be done from the standpoint of Downtown development,” Bell said during a Feb. 25 news conference.

Monske

Bell said Crothers has a “great relationship with business people inside Toledo.” With Crothers’ previous experience and with help from the current economic development staff the city should be able to continue moving forward, Bell said.

Crothers said with Monske at the RGP, economic development will be where it needs to be; in the private sector. Crothers also noted, however, that the city does have a role in economic development.

“The city has a role to play and that’s to be a facilitator. How do we remove impediments to progress on the part of particularly small business to make them successful, to help them be a success? We can’t make them successful, but what we can do is remove some of those impediments to be successful,” he said.

Crothers said he plans on working with the RGP, LCIC, the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority, NORED as well as Wood County and Fulton County.

Crothers is also comfortable working with individuals internationally and domestically, he said. Monske, however, will go with Bell on his next trip to China, Crothers said.

“The private sector with the government working together in concert will bring new dollars into our community,” he said.

In addition to economic development, Crothers will oversee the department of neighborhoods as well as the city inspection bureau.

David Welch, current director of public service, will replace Crothers as the new director of public utilities. Welch had previously worked in public utilities before working in the department of public service.

Welch will be replaced by his second in command Ed Moore, current commissioner of streets, bridges and harbor. Moore will serve as the director of public service and he’ll be supported by David Pratt in his old position as commissioner. Pratt previously with Moore as manager of streets, bridges and harbor.

“We feel that we have stabilized each vacancy that we had with people who have experience and we believe that is a good thing,” Bell said.

Bell also announced that Shirley Green, current director of public safety, will expand her duties. Green will become the new deputy mayor of public safety and personnel and oversee not only the police and fire services, but human resources and affirmative action for the city.

“Although I hate losing Dean… I believe that we have ramped this up and by the time this is over with possibly we’ll be stronger than we were before,” Bell said.

The city will transition its employees to their new positions during the next few weeks. Everyone is expected to officially start their roles March 14, Crothers said.

The city said it has not established salaries for its employees changing departments or positions.

Monske named RGP president

Dean Monske was introduced as the new president/CEO of the Regional Growth Partnership at a news conference Feb. 25 in Downtown Toledo.

After a four-month search that produced 36 candidates, seven from the local area, RGP’s board of directors chosen one of the locals, Monske, to lead the economic development organization.

Monske will leave his post as deputy mayor for external affairs with the City of Toledo to assume his new position with RGP on March 14, according to David Waterman, chairman of the RGP board who introduced him to the media.

“I’m honored and excited to accept this position and I promise to continue the collaborative effort in this region that makes it a great place to live,” said Monske, a Toledo native and graduate of DeVilbiss High School.

Monske returns to RGP after serving as its vice president from 2006 until 2010 when he joined Mayor Mike Bell’s staff. He previously served as executive director of the Oregon Economic Development Foundation from 2000 to 2006.

Monske’s local background and experience was a “very big factor” in the board’s decision to choose him to lead RGP, according to Waterman.

“He can hit the ground running. He did a great job for the City of Toledo. He has all the local knowledge that we value, understands the leadership in the community, and has the ability to interact with that group,” Waterman said.

He thanked Mayor Bell for his cooperation and understanding during the process with Monske as an obvious candidate to replace Steve Weathers who left the position last October to accept a similar post in Savannah, Ga.

“I lost a deputy mayor but I’m gaining another ally. It’s a great thing for Dean. I believe he will be a great asset to RGP and regional development. It takes a team to make it work and we’re working to make our region stronger,” Bell said.

Monske, who is married to Sharon Speyer, Northwest Ohio Region President for Huntington Bank, said he told Mayor Bell, “I’m not leaving. I’m just moving a couple of blocks over and we’re still going to be partners.”

“Mayor Bell has been absolutely phenomenal to work with. My expectations of that job were exceeded ten-fold,” he said.

“I’m very happy for Dean. We became friends and I will miss him. I think the process worked to pick Dean for the job,” Bell said.

“Regional development is vital in economic development efforts. There’s a greater spirit of regionalism in this area now and we look forward to doing great things here,” Waterman said.

‘Absolutely incredible’: United Way surpasses campaign goal

The Toledo-area community helped United Way of Greater Toledo surpass its 2010 campaign goal of $13.3 million, raising a total of $13,409,320.

“I would say without exception we had a very enthusiastic community that understood how important the work is that United Way is doing and how important it is to support that work,” said Sharon Speyer, campaign chairwoman and regional president of Huntington National Bank.

“These campaign results are absolutely incredible,” said Bill Kitson, president and CEO of United Way.

This year the community understood the need, but also wanted to know how they could make an impact and help, he added.

“We’re definitely to the point now where everyone knows someone who is impacted by the economic situation in our community. That creates an understanding about trying to help your neighbor and reach out a hand to them,” Kitson said. “I personally believe the campaign this year was so successful because people know someone who is going to get help from their gift and that’s important.”

Due to one-time grants and stimulus funding in 2009, United Way needed to raise more than $600,000 in new funds. The community met that need with more than a 6 percent increase in giving in 2010, Speyer said.

“When you’re dealing with a community that continues to have double-digit unemployment and increases its giving by 6 percent, I think it is a home run,” she said. “The community deserves accolades for that.”

Nearly half of the workplaces that participated in the campaign increased their giving, said Kim Sidwell, senior vice president of resource development at United Way.

“There was optimism this year. Companies were more excited about the campaigns they were running. There was more enthusiasm and creativity put into the campaign,” she said.

Some different fundraising strategies utilized by businesses were raffles for parking spaces and jeans days, Sidwell said. In addition, Owens Corning hosted an internal “American Idol” fundraiser where people paid to vote.

Companies that showed an increase in giving include The Lathrop Co. which had 100 percent of its employees participate in the campaign; Jones-Hamilton Company which increased its campaign for the 14 consecutive year; and Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority, which doubled what it raised in 2009.

This year’s campaign also included an education challenge grant from BP-Husky Refining that was met quickly because people understand the value of education, Kitson said. Gifts given to United Way’s education initiative were matched dollar for dollar by BP-Husky Refining up to $25,000.

“The conversation changed from a Band-Aid approach of let’s try and help people get through tomorrow, to conversations about the broader issues the community is facing,” Kitson said. “Like in our education initiative. Kids need to graduate from school if they’re ever going to get great jobs and those jobs are going to produce great families. That’s a long-term strategy people understand.”

Money raised during the campaign will go toward programs that support United Way’s Agenda for Change, which includes a focus on education, income and health.

County review advisory panel named

The Lucas County Citizen Review announced Sept. 16 the members of its advisory panel that will oversee a six-month citizen study of county government.

The advisory panel, co-chaired by Tom Killam of Marshall & Melhorn, LLC and Olivia Summons of Sunoco, Inc., will serve to maintain the integrity of the study and oversee the actions of the expert citizen volunteers conducting the research, Killam said.

“It’s a terrible thing to waste a crisis, and maybe the immediate crisis has passed, but we felt this needed to be done and would be best done by a group of citizens,” Killam said. “We’re just trying to make our county a better place in which to live and learn.”

The advisory panel includes Alison Dillion of EPIC; John Jones of the Urban League of Greater Toledo; Tom Palmer of Marshall & Melhorn; Kim Partin of East Toledo Family Center; Larry Peterson of AMobility; Bob Savage Sr. of Savage & Associates; Sharon Speyer of Huntington Bank; Rick Stansley of University of Toledo Innovation Enterprises; Sen. Mark Wagoner of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick; Don Warner, formerly of SSOE; Ray Wood of UAW Local 14; and Blade president and general manager Joe Zerby.

“These are people we view to be community leaders and they all bring their intellect and their altruistic desire to make this a better place,” Killam said.

Many members of the panel were formerly involved with the non-partisan Corporation for Effective Government (CEG) that disbanded in 2002 after 70 years of operations due to lack of financing, Killam said.

Summons, past president of CEG, said, “Study recommendations were always non-partisan, independent, objective analysis of issues in the community that looked at the efficient and effective delivery of public services.”

“The whole reason for having an advisory panel is because we have no base of operations, no CEG,” Summons said. “They are serving as the check and balance in the absence of any board.”

The advisory panel is seeking approximately 25 expert citizen volunteers to participate in the study.

“We’re looking for people with backgrounds in finance, law, logistics, IT. Whatever would be germane to the study itself: People with qualifications and experience,” Killam said.

The volunteer research group, chaired by Marna Ramnath, will take a critical look at all aspects of Lucas County government: Structure and organization, interrelationships of county jurisdictions, finances of elected officials and administrative departments as well as the financial and operational effectiveness of a restructured government.

Cities and counties in the U.S. that have undertaken structural change will also be considered by the research group. With the aid of a professional research associate and office space from the University of Toledo, data will be compiled for use by the research group.

Recommendations and findings from the research group will be presented at the culmination of the study to the Lucas County Commissioner. Several local corporations, whose names were not released at press time, have committed to funding clerical and administrative costs for the study.

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Lighting the Fuse

Glass City ABCs, Part 2

It was pointed out by several readers that the Aug. 15 “Glass City ABCs” column consisted of 26 men and no women. That was unintentional but embarrassing. I promised those readers I would balance the scales, so …

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